The Egyptian Mirror

The Egyptian Mirror is written by Michael Bedard who also authored The Green Man, A Darker Magic, Painted Devil and Redwork (which won the Governor General’s Literary Award). The Egyptian Mirror is about Simon, a sickly 13-year-old boy, who has been tasked with helping out Mr. Hawkins, an elderly neighbour who broke his leg. Simon’s mother sends him over daily to Mr. Hawkins’ house with a tray of food for dinner, and Simon keeps him company and performs simple household tasks during dinner. Many of these tasks involve Simon’s fetching items for Mr. Hawkins from around the two story house as Mr. Hawkins is unable to get around due to his broken leg. Readers quickly discover that Mr. Hawkins is a former archaeologist with a deep knowledge about both mirrors and Ancient Egypt and a vast collection of rare, ancient, antique, and unique mirrors. Simon is fascinated by Mr. Hawkins’ mirrors, but one, in particular, catches his eye - an ancient Egyptian mirror made of bronze, with a handle that depicts a woman with a lion’s head holding the oblong mirror. Simon begins to see visions within the mirror, but he hides what is happening from everyone. When Mr. Hawkins receives a letter concerning this mirror, he shares its contents with Simon, and the boy is drawn into a mysterious and fearful string of events. When Simon’s chronic illness flares up again, he becomes primarily homebound. A friend from school, Abbey, brings him his homework, and she is the only one who believes the strange things that are happening and is willing to help him.

The premise of this novel is sound - good vs. evil, a mystery, and ancient mythology and civilization. Bedard effectively uses Hawkins’ occupation as an archaeologist and his draft manuscript (called ‘Soul Catchers’) about the history and lore of mirrors and Ancient Egypt to provide Simon and the readers with the necessary background information to develop and advance the plot. There are adequate ‘built-in’ mysterious events (such as questionable neighbours, a strange dog that only Simon can see, dreams and visions in the mirror) to keep readers interested. The slow pace of the novel allows for thorough description of the events that unfold and also emphasizes the dramatics of the story’s climax.

However, the story’s slow pace is one of the book’s downfalls. There is the potential that readers lose interest before the end of the book as the tidbits of excitement throughout are sparse and short-lived. The climax, while exciting and satisfying, also seems somewhat sudden and rushed. There are additional elements to the novel that don’t necessarily seem to fit in or, at least, are not adequately explained. Simon’s mysterious chronic illness is one of these elements; it allows him to be at home the majority of the story to ‘see’ everything that is happening in the neighbourhood and, therefore, is somewhat of a focal point, and yet it is never fully explained and is hastily wrapped up. Some details in the story also seem ‘forced’ to fit with the mythology, or seem too coincidental to be believable, but are necessary to propel or wrap up the storyline.

The Egyptian Mirror would best suit strong readers in grade 4 up to potentially grade 7. This novel is better suited for readers that might want a touch of ‘scary’ as it has some suspenseful and somewhat frightening moments, but they are tame and will not appeal to the horror or adventure fans. The Egyptian Mirror seems to fit a very niche audience - someone who enjoys learning new facts while reading fiction, and who likes plot development, a slow buildup, and a quick and concise wrap up. This novel is not likely to be a fan favourite or reread book within libraries or classrooms, but it will be loved by a modest following.